# Can you get SEG payments without MCS? | Eco Solar > Can you get Smart Export Guarantee payments without MCS? What the Energy Saving Trust and Ofgem say, what suppliers ask for, and what to check before you sign. URL: https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/seg-without-mcs/ 1. [Home](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/) 2. [Guides](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/) 3. Can you get SEG payments without MCS? Learn # Can you get SEG payments without MCS? [Eco Solar Panel Installation Company](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/) wrote this guide from the Energy Saving Trust and Ofgem pages on the Smart Export Guarantee, so you know what paperwork export payments need before you choose an installer. Published 29 September 2026 · Updated 29 September 2026 · By Eco Solar Panel Installation Company **Short answer:** Usually not. The Energy Saving Trust says you'll usually need an eligible system, MCS certification and a smart meter to get Smart Export Guarantee payments, and that the installer and technology must be certified under MCS or an equivalent. Energy suppliers may ask for your MCS certificate before they pay for exported power. ## What the rules say The Smart Export Guarantee, or SEG, pays you for the electricity your panels send to the grid. [Ofgem](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/environmental-and-social-schemes/smart-export-guarantee-seg) says it covers solar PV systems up to 5 MW, and that licensed electricity suppliers have to offer export tariffs. The eligibility rules are where MCS comes in. The [Energy Saving Trust](https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/smart-export-guarantee/) says you’ll usually need three things: - an eligible renewable system, which home solar panels are - MCS certification - a smart meter, so exports can be measured It adds that the technology and the installer must be certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) or an equivalent, and that energy suppliers may ask you for an MCS certificate. ## What MCS certification means in practice MCS certifies both the products and the installer. When an MCS-certified installer finishes a job, the system is registered and you get an MCS certificate. That certificate is what an energy supplier asks for when you apply for an export tariff. If the installer isn’t MCS certified, no MCS certificate is issued for your system. The panels still work and still cut your bills, but getting paid for exported power becomes difficult, because the supplier may ask for a certificate you don’t have. ## Questions to ask before you sign If export income matters to you, ask any installer these, and get the answers in writing: 1. Are you MCS certified for solar PV, and what is your certification number? 2. Will I get an MCS certificate for this system? 3. Is the grid registration with National Grid Electricity Distribution included? 4. Do I need a smart meter, and do I already have the right one? Ask us the same questions. You can check an installer’s certification on the MCS website. ## If you already have panels without a certificate If you bought a house with panels, or the installer has since closed, the certificate may still exist. MCS says that where the original installer is no longer certified or no longer trading, only the [MCS helpdesk](https://mcscertified.com/consumers/mcs-certificate-queries/) can access your certificate to amend it. [What happens if your solar installer goes out of business?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/solar-installer-gone-bust/) covers the steps. Older systems may be on the Feed-in Tariff instead of SEG. The FIT closed to new applicants in March 2019, but existing contracts carry on. [Buying a house with solar panels](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/buying-a-house-with-solar-panels/) explains how a FIT moves to a new owner. ## Making the most of the power without export income Whether or not you get an export tariff, the biggest saving comes from using the power yourself. Run the washing machine and dishwasher in daylight, charge the car in the day where you can, and think about a [battery](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/solar-battery-storage/) to carry the surplus into the evening. ## Bottom line If you want to be paid for the power you export, ask any installer, including us, to show their MCS certificate before you sign, and check your chosen supplier's SEG terms. If export income doesn't matter to you, the panels still cut your bills by the power you use yourself. Call 0121 330 1151 (+441213301151), 9am to 7pm, 7 days. ## Questions people also ask ### What is the Smart Export Guarantee? It is the scheme that pays you for electricity your panels send to the grid. Ofgem says it covers solar PV up to 5 MW, and that licensed electricity suppliers have to offer an export tariff. The rate, and the terms, are set by each supplier, so they vary. ### Do solar panels still save money without SEG? Yes. Every unit you use yourself is a unit you don't buy, at up to 26.32p per kWh under Ofgem's price cap for October to December 2026. Without an export tariff, the power you don't use earns nothing, so using more of it yourself, or adding a battery, matters more. [Are solar panels worth it?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/are-solar-panels-worth-it/) works through the numbers. ### Can I install solar panels myself and still get SEG? It is unlikely. The Energy Saving Trust says the technology and installer must be certified under MCS or equivalent, and suppliers may ask for an MCS certificate, which a DIY install won't have. The connection also has to be done safely to the wiring regulations and registered with the network operator. Related service [Solar panels in Birmingham](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/) Installation, batteries and after-care across Birmingham and the West Midlands. [View service](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/) Talk it through Lines open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. 0121 330 1151 (+441213301151) ## More guides - [Decision Guide Are solar panels worth it in Birmingham?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/are-solar-panels-worth-it/) - [Decision Guide How much do solar panels cost in Birmingham?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/solar-panel-cost-birmingham/) - [Decision Guide Is Switch Together Birmingham worth it?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/switch-together-birmingham/) - [Decision Guide Buying a house with solar panels: what should you check?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/buying-a-house-with-solar-panels/) - [Learn What happens if your solar installer goes out of business?](https://ecosolarpanelsbirmingham.co.uk/guide/solar-installer-gone-bust/)